


Convergence

by PhoenixFire315



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Blood and Gore, Dark, F/M, Mates, Mild Sexual Content, Morally Ambiguous Character, Multi, Violence, Volturi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:02:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25272094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixFire315/pseuds/PhoenixFire315
Summary: Aro, Marcus and Caius have been waiting for their mate for thousands of years.  After a disastrous first meeting, they do their best to gain the trust of the woman meant to complete them.
Relationships: Aro (Twilight)/Original Female Character(s), Caius (Twilight)/Original Female Character(s), Marcus (Twilight)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 47
Kudos: 222





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The OC here is a bit of a gray character in terms of morality.  
> I loved the Volturi, and enjoy mate-fics, so here is my take on what kind of woman would complete the rulers of the vampire world.

The city of Volterra was stunning today.

It was midmorning, and a rare fog had fallen over the streets, obscuring the tops of the buildings and casting a hazy filter over the area. Demetri’s superior eyesight could easily pierce the clouded veil, but he was grateful for the additional cover it provided him. There were some in the city who still believed the legends, and he knew better than to draw their attention.

The Volturi rarely travelled outside during the daytime, but Demetri occasionally enjoyed walking amongst the humans. Blood was blood, but when he grew bored, he enjoyed hunting for his prey. Luring them in with his vampiric attraction, making their pulses race and cheeks flush as he promised them silly nothing that never failed to draw them to him.

He enjoyed working for his food, but if the prey was attractive enough… Well, they were going to die anyway, so he never had to hold back. He was always careful to select targets that wouldn’t be missed; tourists or passers through, those who could not be traced back to the Volturi.

The market was subdued, perhaps because of the strange weather, but Demetri was entertained enough by the few people crossing his path. He was dressed in a fine, understated suit that met his desire for sophistication while still being modern enough not to draw the wrong kind of attention. There was a young woman who drew his gaze at the fruit stand across from him, blonde and lithe, and he could smell her from here.

Something smooth and sweet, like dessert. Venom pooled in his mouth at the scent, and he stepped closer, studying her and planning his next move. Would he seduce her? She was attractive enough that it would be no trying thing to do so. Perhaps he could play tour guide he thought, considering the way she continued to consult a small handbook of Italian phrases as she spoke with the vendor.

A growl grew low in his throat as his view of his prey was suddenly blocked, and he narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. Another woman, late twenties perhaps, with long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail beneath a gray hat and dark glasses on her face despite the lack of sunshine. Demetri considered her for a moment, something about the woman drawing his interest, and then his entire body froze when she reached out for a fruit and her sleeve pulled back to reveal her forearm.

The unmistakable silvery scar of a vampire’s bite stood out against the woman’s tanned skin, and Demetri took a closer, calculating look at her.

She was definitely human, he could smell her blood from here, but he knew that he was not mistaken about her scar. This woman had been bitten, yet not turned. _How?_

He stepped forward, his former prey forgotten, and inhaled deeply. Sweat, and old blood—not hers, he noted in surprise—along with notes of warm earth and metal. He also didn’t miss the scent of gun powder. Demetri grinned.

This woman was _dangerous._

Not to him, of course, but she smelled like a killer, and he was fascinated. That scar on her arm only solidified his decision, and the vampire continued forward as she paid for her fruit and slipped it into the canvas bag slung over her shoulder. He trailed her as she turned the corner, and then sped to her side, making sure that he kept his movements as human-like as possible.

Her head snapped to the side as he invaded her space, dark eyes behind her glasses taking him in and freezing when they locked in on his crimson gaze. He could tell by her reaction that she knew what he was, and he smiled slowly at the way her heart rate increased and her jaw clenched.

“Hello,” Demetri purred, and she quickly glanced around them, taking in the handful of people nearby. She swallowed hard, ducking her head slightly to hide beneath the rim of her hat, and he greatly enjoyed her discomfort.

“What do you want?” she asked him tersely, and Demetri let out a dark chuckle.

“You are going to come with me. There are some people who will be very interested to hear how you earned that scar,” Demetri told her, watching the way she stiffened at his words, her lips forming a displeased line. “After you,” he told her, extending his arm to the side. She exhaled through her nose, practically vibrating with tension, and he didn’t miss the way that her hand twitched to the side towards her jacket.

She probably had a weapon there, and although he would have thoroughly enjoyed entertaining her fruitless attack against him, he had more important things to focus on.

“I don’t know where I’m going,” the woman ground out, and Demetri gave her a sly smile.

“I will give you directions,” he said, and she spun away from him, marching down the alley towards the castle. Demetri stayed at her back, far enough he wouldn’t trip her up but close enough to detect her discomfort at his proximity. He hadn’t had this much fun for a very long time.

He couldn’t wait to see how she’d react when they questioned her. Hopefully he’d be able to have her once they were done.

*

*

*

Felix had informed them that their presence was requested in the main chamber by Demetri, and Aro could admit that he was curious. The guard rarely asked for an audience, and the kings had nothing else pressing to attend to, so they swiftly made their way to their thrones. Caius seemed irritated at the appointment, but Aro knew that he was curious as well. And as for Marcus…

His brother had been growing more and more depressed in these past few centuries, their inability to find their chosen mate wearing on him more than the others. Marcus had known from their first meeting that the three of them would share a mate, and they had waited patiently for so very long. 

And waited.

And waited some more.

The excitement of discovering their shared mate had faded, leaving behind a disappointing sort of melancholy as the years passed and she never appeared. Aro often wondered if their mate had lived and died, and they had missed their chance at completion forever.

After a time, they gave up hope of ever finding her. Aro and Caius had even taken lovers and wives, but Marcus never had. He had insisted on waiting for their mate, and if he never found her, he would die alone. Sulpicia had made a fine partner for Aro, but he knew that he would never love her, just as Caius held no deep love for Athenodora. They helped stem the loneliness of eternity, but they could never fill the hole their hearts that was reserved for their mate.

His brother was a shell of the man he once was, and it pained Aro to see how broken he had become. Marcus merely sat on his throne, an expression of sad disinterest on his face as they waited for Demetri’s arrival.

The sudden sound of footsteps caught his attention, and Aro straightened in his throne as another noise drew his interest. Breathing… a heartbeat… _human._

Demetri had brought a _human_ to them.

Now he was _very_ interested.

The guard opened the doors and a woman stepped through, her face obscured by her sunglasses and the low rim of her hat. She had dark hair and skin, with black pants tucked into practical boots, a black jacket over a deep red tank top, and a tan canvas bag strapped over her shoulder. She was utterly unremarkable.

And then he caught her scent, and something inside of Aro awoke with a wave of awareness. Hunger and thirst, curiosity and a pull deep inside of him that urged him to _pay attention_ to this unremarkable human in their midst.

Could she be gifted? There was _something_ about her that Aro wanted. Now, all he had to do was to figure out what it was.

“Masters,” Demetri spoke, bowing his head, and then grinned down at the human at his side. “I thought you should see this.” His hand snapped out with vampiric speed and ripped at the woman’s left sleeve, revealing her flesh to them. She quickly covered the mark, but Aro had already seen it, and he grinned ferally at her. Demetri had done well in bringing her to them. This was most definitely a matter for the Volturi to handle. 

Someone had been naughty.

“Fascinating… tell us my dear, how did you come about such a mark?” Aro inquired, leaning forward in his chair. The woman’s heart began beating quicker, but outwardly she looked calm, though she didn’t answer. Imbecilic, stubborn humans. Irritation pricked at him, and he turned his head slightly to look towards the twins.

“Jane?”

The tiny blonde smirked as her eyes snapped towards the woman. The human gave a grunt and her body twisted as she dropped to one knee. Her hands curled into claws, digging into her bag as it shifted off her shoulder and slid to the ground. Aro could see her teeth bared and her body trembling, pain causing her heart to pound in her chest.

But she didn’t scream.

_Fascinating._

“Jane.”

The attack ended, leaving the woman gasping as her shoulder slumped and she braced herself on all fours. Aro could sense Jane’s disappointment at the woman’s odd reaction, but she would likely have the chance to try again. The king could feel excitement rising in him at this curious woman, but first things first…

“Now, if you please, tell me how you earned that scar,” Aro repeated casually. The woman stood, straightening slowly to her full height, her chest rising and falling quickly. He could practically _smell_ her anger, the spicy scent of it sending a pleasant chill down his spine.

“What’s the point? You’ll kill me anyway,” she growled, and Aro couldn’t stop the huff of laughter that escaped him.

“Oh, my dear. There are so many things that we could do to you. Terrors you cannot even begin to imagine, carried out over days. Months. Decades. Death will become a privilege. A reward you will beg for,” Aro said, rising from his throne and stepping to the edge of the dais. “We will have the answers we seek regardless of your cooperation. I offer a courtesy. You would be wise to accept it.”

She remained motionless as he spoke and maintained her silence when he had finished, her heart slowing in the absence of Jane’s torturous gift, and apparently Demetri had had enough of her noncompliance. His lip curled in impatience and his arm whipped out, striking her with a fraction of his strength.

The woman was pulled off her feet by the blow, but she twisted gracefully in midair, rolling backwards onto her shoulder and then drawing a gun from her belt as she landed on her feet. Demetri laughed at the woman—many of guard did—until she pulled the trigger and his head snapped back in a spray of crushed stone and silvery venom.

Aro could hardly believe what he had just seen. Bullets didn’t do much more than dent the surface of their granite skin, but this woman’s weapon had completely disabled one of his greatest warriors.

It was their collective shock that allowed her to get off the second shot, this one taking Jane in the shoulder and dropping her to the ground with a surprised scream. Aro moved then, his teeth bared in fury, and gripped the woman’s wrist, snapping the fragile bones. As her gun slipped from her fingers he snatched at her throat, bending her backwards and finally getting a good look at her face.

Her hat and glasses had fallen when she had been struck by Demetri, and Aro opened his mouth, prepared to tear her throat out as he looked into her golden-brown eyes…

And couldn’t look away.

He felt the blinding electricity of the mating bond snap into existence, rippling through his body in a burning, undeniable wave. Aro had felt this sensation through his gift enough times to recognize what was happening, but it was so much _stronger_ than he ever could have guessed. The king held her still in his grasp, unable to let go or break her gaze.

This woman, this fragile little creature, was _his._

Aro stared at her with new eyes, taking in the appearance of his mate. She wasn’t terrified, as she should have been, but the pain in her eyes stabbed at him, and he realized with a flood of horror and shame what he had just done. _He’d tortured his mate_. Harmed her with his own hands. Aro had no idea how he would salvage this.

He had only just met her, and he was sure he had irrevocably damaged whatever future they could have had. The Volturi were not kind or benevolent beings, but a vampire’s mate was to be treated with respect and reverence. They were a gift. And he had been so close to causing irreparable damage to her.

Reluctantly tearing his eyes from hers, Aro looked over his shoulder at his brothers, desperate to confirm what he already knew. Marcus had stood from his chair, staring at them with his mouth parted and more emotion in his eyes than Aro had seen in a millennium. There was hope and horror, wonder and fear, and it pained Aro to know that the meeting they had been waiting for for so long had gone so terribly.

Caius was still looking between the two of them in surprise and confusion, but Aro could tell by the way his expression shifted that he was figuring it out. He couldn’t see into their mate’s eyes from his current position, but Aro watched as he shifted and met her gaze, the bond flaring to life in his blood red eyes.

He had to do something, _anything,_ to attempt to repair what they had done.

“Leave us!” Aro snapped, and the guard immediately complied. Alec was already helping Jane, his arm around her as she gripped at her damaged shoulder with a grimace of pain. Felix hurriedly grabbed Demetri’s body, hauling his friend out of the chamber and leaving the kings with their newly discovered mate. He released her the moment they were alone, and the woman stumbled backwards, cradling her wrist to her chest as she coughed and gazed at him with furious eyes.

He had no words. No apology would ever be enough for the pain that he had caused her— _his mate—_ and Aro could only step back to allow her space. Caius and Marcus had descended from their thrones, but they remained at his side, understanding that this would be a delicate interaction.

She stared at them, her eyes flitting suspiciously between each of the kings as she straightened, and Aro felt a burning in his throat at the sight of her bruising neck that had nothing to do with thirst. He had so very nearly killed her, and if he hadn’t looked into her eyes, he never would have known what he’d lost. What they _all_ would have lost.

“What is your name?” Marcus asked, his voice soft and low. She glanced at him, her brow furrowing with suspicion.

“What are yours?” she countered tightly, her voice hoarse from the damage he had done to her throat.

“I am Marcus. These are my brothers, Caius and Aro. We will not harm you,” Marcus vowed, and their mate gave a derisive huff, glancing down at her wrist as if to say ‘ _really?’_. Aro’s teeth clenched as regret washed through him, and he knew that he would never forgive himself for what he had done.

“What changed?” she asked, angling her body away from them when Marcus took a small step forward.

_Everything._

Everything had changed. Aro was unsure of what to tell her, of what she already knew, but he did know that he and his brothers would never let her go now that they had found her. They would have to figure out how to move past this, or she would spend eternity hating them.

“Please, may we know your name?” Marcus asked again, a tinge of desperation to his words.

“My name is Ava,” their mate— _Ava—_ replied, and then her eyes flickered towards her gun laying at Aro’s feet. Before she could make a decision about what to do, he reached down and picked up the gun, examining it closely. He knew very little about human weapons, but he could see that it was well cared for.

“Ava… forgive us. Our kind have laws, and the one who gave you that bite broke them,” Caius said, the tone of his voice unfamiliar to Aro. It was soft, kind… almost soothing. It seemed only moments in the presence of their mate was already changing them.

“I killed him,” Ava replied, and Aro’s eyes snapped up to her in surprise.

“How?” Aro breathed, heat flowing through him when she looked into his eyes. He didn’t know how he had ever thought her to be unremarkable. She was brilliant. Symmetrical, curving features, full lips and arched brows. His eyes traced the thin scars on her face, one trailing down the right side of her jaw, and the other neatly bisecting her eyebrow. And there was _fire_ in her eyes. Never mind that it was likely rage at their treatment of her—she was captivating.

“Armor piercing rounds,” Ava answered, inclining her head towards her gun. “Fucker kept moving though. Pulled himself together. So, I emptied the entire clip in his head. When he still didn’t die, I burned him. That seemed to work.”

They were stunned by her blunt explanation—both at the fact that a human had actually managed to kill one of their kind, and that the human in question was their mate. A warrior. A killer.

A match for them.

“But you were bitten. How are you still human?” Caius questioned, tilting his head to the side as he examined her. Aro felt enraged that another of their kind had left a mark on her, in her flesh for all time, and he was displeased that he would not have the opportunity to unleash his fury on her attacker.

“When the burning started, I figured I’d been poisoned. I’ve been bitten by a venomous snake before, so I thought my best chance was to suck out the poison,” Ava explained, and Aro felt a flare of pride at the intelligence his mate had shown. “Your laws… I don’t get to walk out of here, do I?” she asked them, her lips pressed into a tight line.

Her acceptance of her situation was surprising to them. Most humans begged and cried and bargained, but his mate appeared reluctantly resigned to what she perceived her fate to be.

“Humans who know of our existence must be silenced. Or turned,” Marcus confirmed, and she raised a brow at him.

“Turned?”

“Into one of us,” Caius said.

“Then turn me,” Ava said, raising her chin and looking into each of their eyes. Aro was surprised that she would agree so quickly, and though he desperately wanted to bite her now, the mating instinct urging him to change Ava so that she was like him, he knew that it would be more complicated than that.

“Arrangements must be made. You must be informed about the changes, and the new laws you must abide by,” Marcus told her, and she frowned at him, glancing down at her bag for a moment.

“I… I came here to do a job. Need to finish it tonight. You let me do that, and I’ll cooperate with whatever you need to do,” Ava said, and Aro thought it humorous that she was attempting to negotiate. She had no idea what she had stepped into. If she were anyone other than their mate this conversation never would have been entertained.

“What kind of job?” Aro asked her, curious to know everything he could about her. A large part of him wished that he had forgone his gloves today; that he had touched her skin and slipped into her mind. But she knew that if he had done so without her permission, she would trust him even less than she already did.

“I have a target to eliminate in Florence,” she answered unflinchingly, and he felt venom pool in his mouth at the knowledge of what she meant.

She was a hitwoman.

An assassin.

A fellow killer.

He heard the growls and rumbles of his brothers, too low for her human ears to detect, and Aro knew that this revelation was affecting them the same way. They had all planned for the reality that their mate might be of a more delicate composition, and were fully prepared to hide their more bloodthirsty natures if needed, but knowing that she was comfortable with death as a human was… alluring.

“Will you be able to complete your assignment in your current condition?” Caius asked, eying her injured wrist. Aro repressed another stab of guilt. He needed to move forward. He would never forget what had happened, but dwelling on it would do none of them any good.

“It won’t be a problem.”

“How do we know that you will not flee?” Marcus inquired, and Aro had to fight to restrain a smirk. His brother was well aware that there was no way she could disappear from their lives at this point. Demetri would be able to track her no matter where she went.

Ava’s jaw clenched at his question, her dark eyes flitting between the gun in Aro’s hands and her bag. He wondered what else she had on her; weapons, definitely. He could smell old blood on something inside, as well as leather and paper.

_Such a curiosity._

“Send someone with me,” she offered, and Aro _ached_ to be the one to accompany her. He would love to see how she killed, to watch her face as she took a life. Perhaps join her in the act. But he was well aware that he was less than likely to be her first choice, considering his earlier treatment of her.

“Caius,” Marcus whispered, to soft to be heard by their mate. The blonde king stepped forward, drawing her attention to him.

“I will join you,” Caius told her, bowing his head. Ava gave him a small nod, though she didn’t seem pleased with the arrangement. Aro knew that they would have to make a great deal of effort to gain any semblance of trust from her. Their first meeting had been disastrous, and he wondered if he had any chance at all of his mate ever seeing him in a positive manner.

This was not how he had imagined finding her would go.

And yet…

She was _here._ More than they could have hoped for in a mate. It didn’t matter if he had to spend centuries earning her trust, Aro was willing to atone. For her, he was willing to do anyting…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caius joins Ava on her job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some blood in this one.

For the first time in his unnaturally long life, Caius felt the bitter tang of uncertainty. His newly found mate was nothing like he had imagined, and he was unsure of how to interact with her. After agreeing to accompany her on her… job, they had retired to the smaller chamber between the library and the bathhouse. Ava was currently perched on the marble countertop, wrapping her broken wrist tightly with a bandage she had pulled out of her bag.

Aro and Marcus had gone to inform the guard of their newest charge, and Caius was grateful for the time alone with her. It made him supremely uncomfortable to know that she was in pain, that she had been injured by those who would be her family. She hid her discomfort well, but he could hear the sound of her bones rubbing together, caught the shuddering breath escaping her, and knew that she was in pain.

Ava reached into her bag again and pulled out a small leather notebook, flipping through it until she came to a page with a man’s photo tucked into it. Her dark eyes flickered up to catch his, and she turned the book slightly, inviting him. Caius moved closer to her, inhaling the rich, earthy scent of her blood as it stirred a heat in his chest that he had never experienced before.

He wasn’t in the habit of denying himself the things that he wanted, and he most definitely wanted _her._ But this wasn’t some female vying for his favor, happy to hop into his bed at the snap of his fingers. Ava was his mate, and he would never harm her, would never force himself on her in any way that she was averse to. He clenched his teeth to stem his desire as he looked down at her notebook, memorizing the image of the man and the information written in neat, precise handwriting.

_Adriano Lorenzo_

Her target. The man she was going to kill.

He felt his thirst spike at the thought.

“How will you do it?” Caius asked her.

“I was going to shoot him, but my aim isn’t as precise left-handed. I’ll have to slit his throat,” she replied, and the casual manner in which she stated this made his arousal burn brightly. He desperately hoped that she was as good at this as she implied.

“When do we leave?”

“Now. He walks the park at sunset. No guards. Since you’ll be coming with me, we’ll be a couple taking a romantic walk. You’ll grab his attention with a question, I’ll slit his throat, we’ll disappear,” Ava instructed, and he had to physically restrain himself from reacting to her words. He was practically vibrating with the excitement he felt at watching what she would do.

She had insisted that he change his attire to better blend in, and he had abandoned his cloak for a long-sleeved black button up shirt. It was odd; he had worn the same clothing for almost forty years now, but Caius understood the necessity of blending in. Ava had also replaced her hat, but her glasses had been broken in the throne room.

“Come then,” Caius said, offering her his arm. Ava gave him a raised brow before reaching into her bag and pulling out a long, broad knife. She slipped it into the inner pocket of her jacket and moved to the door, ignoring his offered arm. He wasn’t surprised, but he was disappointed. A part of him had believed that finding his mate would be a wondrous, happy moment.

Nothing that had happened today had occurred the way that he had imagined it.

*

*

*

The car ride to Florence had been silent and uncomfortable, and Caius could feel his patience fading rapidly. His mate was unreadable, frustrating, and so damn captivating that it was driving him crazy. Every advance he made was ignored or rebuked, she wouldn’t engage him in conversation, and she seemed completely unaffected by the bond between them.

Could humans even feel the bond?

Caius wanted to just turn her and get it over with, but he knew that that would only make things worse. Aro had already hurt her before he knew what she was to them, and he couldn’t help but feel an irrational anger towards his brother. This entire thing should have happened so very differently.

“Pull over here,” Ava instructed, and Caius caught the driver’s eyes in the mirror and gave him a nod. They pulled over and she quickly exited the car, Caius impatiently following her as she strode towards the park.

“Are we not a couple on a romantic walk at sunset?” Caius said lowly, his voice almost a growl, and Ava exhaled through her nose and wrapped her broken wrist through his arm. He heard the way that her breath caught, felt the slight tremble in her limb, and felt instantly shamed that he hadn’t considered how this would hurt her. She needed her left hand free, of course, and had no choice but to use her injured arm to hold him.

He made sure to refrain from putting any pressure on it and fell into an introspective silence, understanding that he needed to get a handle on his emotions when he was around her.

She was equally as quiet as they walked at a casual pace, moving up the trail towards the center of the park, and Caius detected the scent of another human nearby. His crimson eyes scanned the trees, until he caught movement on the path heading towards them.

“He is ahead, coming this way,” Caius said, ducking his head slightly to speak in her ear. Ava nodded, and then her face transformed before his eyes. A small, knowing smile pulled at the corner of her lips, and her eyes brightened as they looked up at him.

“Pretend you’re happy to be here. When we get to him, ask him if he knows how far the trail goes. Make him look away from me,” Ava instructed quietly, the false smile never faltering. Caius was impressed, he would never have known that she was acting if he hadn’t seen the transformation with his own eyes. She was good.

Each step they took brought them closer to her target, and Caius couldn’t stop the excitement growing within him as a very genuine grin grew on his face. He forced himself to look away from his mate and towards the man, taking in his dark curling hair, the portly shape of his body, and the way that he looked down his nose at the pair of them when they came close.

He could not wait to watch this man die.

“Excuse me, signore, can you tell me where the trail—”

Her movement was sudden and lightning-fast, her hand slipping out of her jacket and arcing outward with practiced precision. The blade gleamed in the dying light, flashing like fire as it slid across the man’s throat. Caius felt her press against him and allowed his body to be led, Ava spinning through her slash so that the pair ended up just outside the spray of blood that erupted from the man’s throat.

The target’s eyes were wide with shock as he fell to his knees, gurgling and spluttering while grasping at his throat in an attempt to stem the cascade of crimson liquid pouring from the wound. It was quick, efficient, and devastatingly effective. Caius couldn’t look away from it.

He felt his mate stir at his side, her arm slipping from his as she wiped her blade on the back of the man’s shirt before slipping it back into her jacket. His eyes went black as his hunger peaked, and a growl tore from his throat at the scent of so much hot, fresh blood. Ava watched him with shrewd eyes, nothing in her expression afraid or wary.

“Might as well take what you want. No need to let it all go to waste,” she said softly, and Caius didn’t need any other encouragement. He flashed to the man’s side, yanking his hands away and snapping his mouth down on his throat. He was careful not to pierce his flesh with his teeth, unwilling to leave evidence of his existence behind on his mate’s kill, and swiftly swallowed down that which had been offered to him.

The man twitched and choked, moving feebly beneath his superior strength in some kind of hopeless attempt to get away. As if he would have survived the damage his mate had done. There wasn’t much left to drink as it was, but Caius was satisfied when he heard the man’s heart stop and his blood ceased pumping. He pulled away with a low groan, licking his lips before wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

The soft sound of her breathing drew his attention back to her, and Caius looked at his mate as he slowly straightened, a bit apprehensive about what he would find there. She bore no signs of disgust or fear, which surprised him, and he was pleased to see curiosity and a bit of… was that… excitement?

So… he was not the only one who enjoyed watching the kill.

He licked his lips once more as he advanced towards her, the blood he’d just consumed singing in his veins and emboldening him. He was aware enough to know that now was not the time to make the advances he desired, but he couldn’t stop himself from moving close to her. Ava’s breath hitched at his nearness, and he could smell the slight change in her scent. Apprehension… a bit of wariness. It was enough to bring him back to himself.

“You kill beautifully,” Caius whispered, pleased at the way her pupils expanded and her mouth parted softly. It was gratifying to know that she wasn’t completely unaffected by him. “Shall we?” he asked, presenting his arm on the opposite side. Ava’s expression was guarded, but she accepted his invitation, linking her uninjured limb with his as he led her out of the park.

He couldn’t wait to share with Aro and Marcus how glorious their mate had been when she’d killed that man. A warrior, mated to warriors. Now all they had to do was prove to her that they were worthy of her affections.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be from Ava's POV, so you'll get a glimpse at what's going on in her head.  
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the mind of our OC.

Her mind was whirling with the events of the day, increasing the acuity of her already formidable headache. She had forgotten how fast and strong these creatures were, but Ava had been quickly reminded when she’d been backhanded off her feet and had her wrist crushed. 

She wasn’t stupid. She knew that if they’d wanted her dead, she would be. It had been a reflex to draw on the male that had taken her to the others, and the small female that had somehow tortured her with her _fucking mind._ She was still astonished that she’d managed to wound them at all. Here’s to the element of surprise.

Whatever had changed with their intentions when Aro had attacked her remained a mystery, but she would use it to her advantage for as long as possible. Their acquiescence to her request to finish her job had been unexpected, as had the fact that the blonde, Caius, had joined her. She got the impression that the trio of males were some sort of royalty, but he had accompanied her without complaint, barely blinking when she had murdered that man.

She could see the way that his eyes had darkened, his lips curling back as he stared at the blood, and Ava had been more than a little curious about what he would do. She’d urged him, and he hadn’t hesitated. It was surreal, to get a glimpse of what she would inevitably be, and Ava could admit that it was not something that she feared.

At the very least, it could make her job much easier.

The car had brought them quickly back to the castle, and she had remained silent at Caius’s side as he escorted her back to the room that they had prepared in. She didn’t wait to grab her kit from her bag and clean her blade, inspecting it carefully, feeling the blonde’s eyes on her the entire time.

“When will you turn me?” Ava asked as she finished, glancing over her shoulder to see Caius staring at her with narrowed eyes. She got the feeling that something about her confused them, knocked them off balance, but she wasn’t sure what it was.

“If it were solely up to me, I would turn you right now. But arrangements must be made. We do not allow newborns in the castle,” he replied, stepping closer to her. She felt unnerved by his ethereal beauty, by the way the hair on the back of her neck stood on end whenever one of them was in close proximity.

“Newborns… Hard to control?” Ava asked, turning to him fully, disliking the feel of having a predator at her back.

“The thirst is maddening. Your senses will be overwhelming. It is a difficult transition,” Caius explained, and then his head tilted to the side, and a moment later the door opened to admit Marcus and Aro. Both gave her small smiles in greeting, their vivid crimson eyes intense as they looked her over. She felt fear rising in her and ruthlessly tamped it back down. It wouldn’t do her any good, and Ava needed to keep her senses sharp around these men.

“ _Mia cara,_ I trust your hunt was successful?” Aro asked her, a reserved smile on his face. She sensed his regret about his earlier treatment of her, but she still didn’t entirely understand it. The abrupt shift from violent to remorseful was a mystery.

“The target has been eliminated,” Ava answered. The wrist that he had broken hurt terribly, but she knew that amongst these creatures, any kind of pain-killer would be a bad idea. She needed her mind sharp.

“She even saved some for me, brothers,” Caius told them, smirking as his eyes flashed to hers. She felt her cheeks warm, and she wasn’t sure why. He was attractive—they all were—but it had been a long time since she’d been affected by a pretty face.

“And it did not… disturb you, to see one of us feed?” Marcus asked her, his brow furrowing.

“Death has never bothered me. And… everyone needs to eat,” Ava responded, shrugging a shoulder.

“They do indeed. And _you_ have not eaten. What would you like? We can get you anything you desire,” Aro asked, stepping towards her. She resisted the urge to move backwards, to keep some distance between them. These powerful, beautiful men intimidated her more than she liked to admit, but she would do her best not to show it.

“Am I a prisoner until I’m turned?” Ava asked, ignoring his question. It would be good to know all of the facts concerning her new reality.

“It is unsafe for you outside of this castle while you are still human,” Marcus said, his tone soft and airy. He was the least threatening of the three, and Ava could tell that he was likely the most reserved of them as well.

“What changed? You,” she jerked her chin at Aro, “were a second away from killing me. Then you all treat me like a guest, watch while I murder a man, and now you’re… protecting me?” She fought to keep her irritation from her voice, knowing that she was already walking a fine line here.

They were silent for a brief moment, all staring at her, until Marcus stepped forward slowly. Ava’s heart pounded in her chest, a flash of fear rising in her that she’d pushed them too far, but the brunette simply reached out and gently laid his fingertips on the back of her hand.

The touch of his skin was shocking, and Ava was barely able to restrain the gasp that fought to escape from her. His skin was cold and smooth, but she _burned_ where he had touched her. When she had encountered the one who had first tried to kill her almost six years ago, his touch hadn’t felt anything like this.

She _liked_ it.

And that worried her.

Ava slipped her hand back, breaking the contact as she looked warily into Marcus’s red eyes. He seemed perturbed by her reaction and smoothy stepped back to give her some space.

“What are you doing to me?” she breathed, furious at herself for the way her voice shook.

“You feel it too… that is excellent. We did not know if a human could feel the connection,” Caius said as he moved to Marcus’s side, eyes bright as they looked at her. She didn’t like not having the same information they obviously possessed, and the idea of being at even more of a disadvantage riled her.

“Connection?”

“My dear,” Aro said softly, his hands fluttering in front of him like he wanted to touch her, but he refrained. “You are important to us. I did not understand what you were when first we met, and there will never be enough words in any language to express my sorrow at having harmed you.”

She was surprised by the sincerity in his voice and the remorse on his face, but Ava knew that no matter how much experience she had with reading human expressions, it likely helped little here. These men weren’t human. And trust had never come easily to her. But there was no advantage to be had by holding any kind of resentment, so Ava decided to let it go.

“I’ve had worse,” she told him. It wasn’t forgiveness, but it was something. Some of the people she had considered friends had given her worse, after all. “Where will I be staying?”

“A room has been prepared for you. It should have everything you need. We can have a meal sent there for you. Please,” Marcus said, extending his arm towards the door. Ava sighed and quickly gathered her bag, pulling the strap over her shoulder as she followed him out of the room.

If she hadn’t been so concerned about what was happening then she probably could’ve appreciated the beauty of the castle a bit more, but Ava could only focus on the predators surrounding her. She had been in a constant stage of agitation since she’d been approached in the alley, and Ava was sick of it. She didn’t understand what they meant about a ‘connection,’ but she knew that there had to be some small truth to what they were saying. At least on her end.

Fear had lost its hold on her a long time ago, so she rarely reacted normally to dangerous situations. Fighting, killing, got her blood pumping and her adrenaline up, and she had no shame in admitting that she enjoyed it. She didn’t kill indiscriminately, she wasn’t cruel without cause, but she was good at what she did. These men were _dangerous,_ perhaps the most dangerous creatures she would ever encounter, but curiosity about them burned in her.

_What_ exactly were they, how old were they, what would happen when she was turned? How had the little blonde girl dealt her so much pain without touching her, and what the hell was the connection that she apparently had with the trio that made them spare her in that chamber? That lingering tingle of fear made her bite her tongue, but she was mentally compiling a list of things that she wanted to know.

And… there was something _else,_ something beyond fear that she felt when she was around the trio. It was… thrilling.

“Here we are,” Marcus said, opening a pair of heavy wooden doors. Ava had seen some beautiful places in her life, but this room was breathtaking. Everything was done in rich, gleaming ebony and emerald green, the sitting room both roomy and inviting without appearing old fashioned. She was curious about the rest of the suite—not just a room, but a _suite—_ and she peeked around Marcus to see the door to a bedroom, likely with an attached bathroom as well.

“Does it please you?” Caius asked her with a knowing glint in his eye.

“Yes. Thank you,” she told them, and they seemed happy to have her approval.

“A meal is being prepared for you. Is there anything else that we can do for you, my dear?” Aro asked her. A flurry of questions flew through her mind, but only one seemed pertinent at the moment.

“I’d like my gun back,” she replied, arching a brow. Aro smiled broadly, and Caius scoffed.

“Will you be using it on any more of the guard?” Aro asked amusedly. She was glad that they didn’t seem too upset that she’d shot their companions.

“Not without reason,” Ava answered, and his smile grew into a full grin, his eyes gleaming excitedly. “And about that… do I need to be concerned about retaliation?”

“Of course not. No one in this castle will harm you,” Aro replied firmly, and Ava fought the urge to wave her broken wrist in his face. Whether he was telling the truth or not, her options were limited. She was no match against these creatures. She nodded, still feeling more than a little uncomfortable, and they quickly picked up on it.

“We will let you retire now,” Marcus stated, glancing at the others as he stepped backwards towards the door.

“Yes, humans get tired, don’t they? Good night, little one,” Caius said, his red eyes tracking up and down her form in a manner that drew a raised brow from her. She had the feeling that she only caught him checking her out because he wanted her to.

“Your weapon shall be returned to you in the morning. Sleep well, my dear,” Aro said, bowing at the waist as he followed the others out the door and closed it with a resounding ‘thud.’ Ava waited a long moment before she allowed herself to relax, her shoulders slumping and her eyes fluttering closed as the event of the day finally caught up with her.

Her body hurt, her wrist throbbed, and the one thing she was sure of was that she had absolutely no idea what was happening.

What the hell had she gotten herself into this time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will be happening pretty slowly in the beginning. Lots of character POV chapters and insights before the good stuff gets going.  
> Thank you for reading! Comments and critique are always appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kings discuss their mate, and Ava encounters Jane again.

Marcus allowed his eyes to close in pleasure as he listened to Caius speak of his time with their little mate. Aro had looked at the memories with his gift, but Marcus felt no jealousy at only being able to experience the outing through the words of his brother. He felt a small smile grow on his face—an expression he had not born in many millennia—at the description of her efficient kill, the way she did not shy away from Caius when he drank from the dying man, and how she had irked him with her silence during their time in the car.

He understood the delicacy of their situation, and he was much more patient about their proceedings than his brothers. Aro wanted desperately to mend the damage done at their meeting, and Caius was eager to change her into one of them. The fact that she was human, and _so very fragile_ , was not lost on him, but he did not share their impatience.

Vampires that were changed without the proper preparations tended to be much harder to control, and Marcus knew that their little mate was already a formidable warrior. If they did not go about this the right way, she could just as soon turn on them than accept them.

His thoughts had been filled with her from the moment their eyes connected in the throne room. He had treasured all of the tiny things that they had learned and observed in their short time together. The mystery of the scars he’d seen on her skin, the way she handled her fear whilst in the presence of their kind, and that defiant fire he’d seen in her honey-brown eyes… Marcus had never felt as alive as he did at this moment. For the first time in his existence, he was looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.

“The guard have all been made aware of her status and instructed not to mention the bond. And Carlisle will be here by tomorrow night,” Aro informed them when Caius had finished his report.

“What did you tell him?” Marcus asked, his eyes opened to regard his brothers. Aro had been adamant that their mate receive treatment for her injury, and there was only one person he would accept to aid her.

“I told him that we had found our mate, that she was injured, and that we respectfully requested his medical expertise,” Aro replied airily. Marcus knew that his casual words masked the deep pain he carried about being the cause of her suffering.

“Can we trust him after that debacle with their hybrid?” Caius asked, a growl rumbling in his chest.

“We all know that dear Carlisle would never harm a human. I have hopes that he will view this request as a sort of olive branch. He has proven that his coven is formidable, and I have little desire to test them again,” Aro answered. Caius sneered and turned away. They were all aware of how little regard he had for the Cullen family and their allies.

“Is he coming alone?” Marcus inquired.

“I requested that he do so. I had him send a list of the necessary equipment to care for our mate. It shall arrive in a matter of hours.”

They were all quiet for a long moment, listening to the faint heartbeat of their mate from the rooms opposite their shared study. Her scent had faded with distance, but Marcus could still catch traces of it in the air. The memory of the soft, fragile warmth of her skin when he’d touched her stirred him, and he greatly looked forward to the time when he could lavish her with welcomed affections.

“And the preparations?” Marcus asked, recalling what they had planned for their mate.

“The country villa is being readied,” Aro answered. They would be able to spend time with her there while she adjusted to becoming a vampire, ensuring that she would never be alone without one of them. It would require a great deal of planning and the delegation of responsibilities, but they would do whatever it took to care for their mate when she would need them most.

“We should take her there now. The change will negate the need for Carlisle’s involvement, and she is a liability to us as a human,” Caius ranted, pacing across the room. His words sounded harsh, but Marcus was well aware that he was frightened at the thought of her mortality.

“I do not think she would thank us for turning her now. When she becomes a vampire, she will feel the full effects of the bond. It would be wise to inform her ahead of time, allow her to accept us,” Marcus told the blonde. They had all agreed long ago to be truthful to their mate, to never hide things from her, and to not force the change on her immediately if they discovered her when she was still human.

Caius had always been opposed to the last part, but had ultimately agreed. Marcus was not surprised that he was arguing against it now that it was a reality and not just a theoretical situation.

“There is much we do not know about her. _Our Ava_. We will need to tread lightly to earn her trust,” Aro said, his eyes unfocused as he thought of her. Marcus knew that they were all eager to be near her, that merely hearing her breathing, her heart, and catching hints of her captivating scent was not nearly enough after thousands of years of waiting.

“Masters.”

The softly spoken word from outside their chamber drew them from their thoughts, and Aro bade the waiting guards to enter. Demetri, Felix, Jane and Alec appeared before them, their heads bowed respectfully. Demetri bore no evidence of the damage that their mate had done to him, and Marcus felt a flare of pride at her high level of ability. It was no easy feat to injure one of their kind, especially for a human.

Their little warrior.

“You are aware of your duty?” Caius asked curtly.

“Yes, Masters.”

“You understand the gravity of your responsibility?” Marcus asked, and he was aware of the way their eyes flashed to him. He rarely spoke to the guard, and never with such intensity. A day of discovering his mate had brought more life to him than they had ever seen before.

“We do, Masters.”

“Excellent, my dears! You are our most trusted, and I know that you will serve our mate admirably,” Aro stated, and Marcus detected the hint of threat in his words. The guards did as well. They bowed their heads, recognizing the dismissal, and slipped back out of the room.

“You read them earlier?” Caius asked, looking to Aro with narrowed eyes.

“Of course, brother. Jane fears our displeasure, and is eager to earn our favor once more. Demetri…” Aro chuckled, a bright smile growing on his face. “Demetri is impressed. I think he wants to befriend her.”

“We can use that. Strengthening ties between her and our guard will only benefit us,” Caius commented with a smirk.

“On the issue of ties, how will you handle Sulpicia and Athenodora?” Marcus inquired. The wives were currently in Paris as guests of one of the prominent French covens, but they were due to return soon. Aro and Caius shared a look, and the blonde let out a soft growl.

“Athenodora will not be pleased, but we have spoken of what would occur should our mate be found,” Caius told them.

“I do not believe Sulpicia will be an issue. We have grown apart in the last century, and I read from her that she was already considering leaving,” Aro explained, drawing a raised brow from Marcus. He focused, tapping into his gift, and a searched for the threads that bound them.

The newest thread was already there, pulsing in a soft, muted gold. Their mate’s connection to them was new and fragile, but it was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. He reluctantly shifted his focus, searching, and found the pale red threads that Aro and Caius shared with their wives. His brothers had been correct in their estimations of the current status of their relationships; with Aro’s bond to Sulpicia barely holding on while his other brother’s was dangerously tight and thin.

It made him wary.

Bonds that dissolved on their own were rarely an issue, but those that snapped never ended well.

“Be careful with Athenodora. Her attachment to you is still strong,” Marcus warned, releasing his gift and catching the blonde’s eye. Caius’s eyes darkened as his posture went rigid, a snarl tearing from his throat.

“I will suffer no threat to our mate,” he promised them.

They didn’t reply, but no words were needed. Nothing would take her from them now that they had found her.

*

*

*

Morning brought only mild relief to her headache, and a sharp, stabbing pain from her wrist that radiated all the way up her arm. Ava groaned and shifted carefully, flexing her fingers and gritting her teeth against the throbbing response from her damaged limb. Still functional, if she really needed it, but _damn_ it hurt. 

Unsurprisingly, she hadn’t slept well, though she was thankful that there were no dreams. Just imagined sounds and movements that yanked her from her slumber, heart pounding and hand gripping the blade hidden beneath her pillow, leaving her feeling foolish when she realized that there was nothing there.

She slipped out of bed—the massive size of it making her shake her head with a disbelieving scoff—and moved to the bathroom to relieve herself. The black marble gave it a foreboding, cold impression, though Ava couldn’t deny that it was very beautiful. It had both a shower and an inground jacuzzi, with floor to ceiling mirrors that made the room appear larger than it really was.

She quickly prepared herself for the day, slightly frustrated at the way her injury hindered her movements. Ava was grateful for the fact that she’d been allowed to keep her bag, and she pulled out a clean pair of black pants and a dark purple t-shirt to change into. There wasn’t much she could do to her hair with only one hand, so she just styled it lightly and let it flow loosely around her shoulders.

The sun was just beginning to rise when she had finished, and Ava found herself standing awkwardly in the sitting room, wondering what to do next. The trio had told her that she was to remain in the castle, but that didn’t necessarily mean trapped in her room. She was just about to move to the door when something caught her attention, and a sharp grin broke out on her face as she noticed her gun resting atop a folded piece of paper on the table at the entrance.

She wasted no time checking it over, making sure that the clip wasn’t completely empty, and then holstering it in the hidden sleeve on her belt. Ava lifted the note, admiring the flowing scrip of the handwriting as she read it.

_My dear Ava,_

_My brothers and I have business to attend to during the morning hours. You may call for meals whenever you wish, or visit the kitchens in person._

_A guard will be assigned to you at all times, for your safety. They will be honored to give you a tour of the castle, or take you anywhere you desire within the grounds. If there is anything you need, they are at your service._

_Please, enjoy our home._

_Yours,_

_Aro_

Ava bit her lip as she folded the note and set it back down on the table. She was thankful that she wasn’t restricted to her room, but the idea of having a babysitter assigned to her was grating.

_Better than being stuck in here all day._

She mentally steadied herself and pushed at the door, leaning into it due to the sheer weight of the thing. Her eyes immediately locked onto the tiny, familiar blonde girl standing just outside, watching as she struggled with the door with an expressionless face. Ava felt a shiver of apprehension, remembering exactly what this diminutive little girl was capable of.

And what she had done to her in retaliation.

Ava let the door slide shut behind her and stared at the girl, taking in her pale, flawless features and stunningly red eyes.

“Are you my guard?” she asked, and the girl pursed her lips slightly.

“Yes.”

“Could you show me to the kitchens please?” Ava asked, and the little blonde’s brow rose infinitesimally as she spun on her heel and began heading silently down the corridor. They didn’t speak as they travelled, not encountering anyone else in the castle as they travelled.

The blonde suddenly stopped in the middle of a hallway, no where near any other doors, and Ava’s hand twitched towards her gun as adrenaline flooded her system. The girl shifted, turning to face her, and Ava tensed, ready for an attack.

“I… apologize. For hurting you,” she ground out, and Ava got the impression that it had been extremely difficult for her to say those words. She stared at her, and the blonde stared back, unflinchingly meeting each other’s eyes. This girl was supposed to be her guard, was supposed to protect her and show her the castle, and Ava wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

“I’ve never felt pain like that. How does it work?” Ava asked when her curiosity got the better of her, and the blonde’s eyes narrowed fractionally.

“It is an illusion of pain. Many of our kind are gifted, and the gifts vary,” she explained, and Ava felt the corner of her mouth curl up. That was… amazing. She wondered what some of the other ‘gifts’ looked like.

“No need to apologize. You were doing your job. I won’t apologize for shooting you either,” Ava told her, and the blonde outright glared at her for a moment before her face went blank.

“You got lucky.”

“Yes, I did.”

Something changed then, and Ava could feel whatever animosity that had been growing between them slowly fade into a grudging sort of respect. The blonde smirked as she turned on her heel and continued down the corridor, Ava a few steps behind her.

This girl—who seemed less and less like a little girl—would definitely make a better ally than an enemy.

“I’m Ava.”

…

“Jane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jane is a badass little bitch, and you'll be seeing a lot of her in this fic.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aro and Ava learn more about each other, and a familiar face arrives.

“What is your surname?” Aro asked as she took another bite of her food. It smelled absolutely appalling, but their mate seemed to be enjoying it enough.

“McCrea. And yours?” she replied from behind her hand. His brothers were still at court, but he had slipped away when he was able, eager to spend more time with his mate. They had all agreed that perhaps it was best to limit their interactions with her to one-on-one in order to avoid overwhelming Ava. They did not want her to be uncomfortable with them.

“Volturi. As is the name of our… organization,” Aro answered. He was pleased that her reaction to him was more accepting today, and noted that the fear-scent was barely there anymore. He enjoyed when others feared him, but he did not wish for her to be one of them.

“And you are… enforcers of your kind’s laws?”

“Amongst other things. We settle disputes, arrange trades, keep histories of the world that humans are unaware of,” Aro said, folding his hands gracefully on his lap. She was seated on the chair across from him in her sitting room, looking particularly lovely with her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders. Ava finished her meal and set the bowl aside, giving him her full attention.

He cherished it.

“Jane told me that your kind have gifts. Hers is obvious. Do you have one?” Ava asked him, and Aro felt a shiver of apprehension. He knew that he would have to disclose his ability to her at some point, and he was not sure how she would take it.

“I do.”

Her brow arched impatiently at the dodgy reply, the expression utterly charming on her. Aro sighed and leaned back in his chair, considering his words.

“When I touch someone, I am able to hear every thought, see every memory, that they have ever had,” he told her solemnly. Ava’s face went instantly blank, her hand coming up to touch her throat. With a pang, he realized that she was mimicking the way he had gripped her yesterday. He knew where her thoughts were, and quickly assuaged them.

“I wore my gloves when I touched you. I have not seen into your mind, and will not do so without permission,” Aro asserted firmly, and Ava exhaled sharply through her nose, her eyes dropping to the table that lay between them.

“Thank you,” she breathed, not looking at him, and he wondered what it was in her mind that she wished to remain hidden. “Um, what about Marcus and Caius? Do they have gifts too?” It pleased him that she was curious about his brothers, hoping that she was feeling the pull of their bond as well.

“Marcus is able to see the connections between people. Relationships, bonds. They are like threads and cords of all different shades. It is quite beautiful,” Aro answered, smiling fondly as he thought of the newest bond he had seen in his brother’s mind.

“And… Caius?”

“Caius is not gifted like us, but he is a masterful tactician and a formidable warrior. Not all vampires possess gifts,” Aro explained, and her eyes widened.

“Vampires,” she whispered, and Aro gave her an inquiring look.

“Yes…”

“I… suspected something like that, I just didn’t have a word. Makes sense…” Ava mused, chewing at her lip. If one read between the lines, it could be said that Aro had just broken the very law that had sealed her fate. He would be sure to keep this to himself. His brothers would be insufferable, and it could damage the reputation of the Volturi.

“I imagine you have questions,” Aro said, smirking at her. She graced him with a small smile in return that made his chest burst with joy.

“Well… I know you don’t burn up if you go out during the daytime. Crosses?” Aro barked out a laugh.

“Lovely ornaments, we have one in our study. For irony’ sake.” She grinned at him, showing straight white teeth as her golden eyes gleamed.

“Turn into a bat?”

“Why would I want to be anything else?” he drawled smugly, leaning back and extending his arms out to the sides. Ava laughed shortly and Aro delighted in the fact that she was enjoying their banter just as much as he was. She let out a soft sigh and stared at him, a small smile on her face.

“So… you’re fast. Strong. Venomous. _Really_ hard to kill. Anything I’m missing?”

“Our senses are heightened in every way. I can hear your heartbeat easily from across a room. Vampires have perfect recall from the moment we turn. We do not need to breathe, and we do not sleep,” Aro explained to her, gratified by the way that she seemed fascinated by his every word.

“You don’t sleep?”

He shook his head once.

“Then why the bed?” Ava asked, and Aro allowed a sly smile to slowly grow on his face.

“There are many uses for beds that do not include sleeping,” he purred, hoping that he had not gone too far. Ava’s cheeks immediately reddened as her eyes went wide, and Aro was relieved when she pursed her lips to restrain a smile.

“Well… you’re not wrong,” she said, her voice slightly higher than usual. He was incredibly tempted to continue prodding her, to see just how far he could push, but Aro knew that it was too soon to make those kinds of advances. Instead, he settled back in his chair and gave her a less-suggestive smile.

“May I inquire more about you?” he asked, and she seemed grateful for the change in subject.

“You may.”

“Tell me more about your work,” Aro asked, and her eyes darkened in a manner that took him right back to their previous tension. He had _so_ enjoyed watching her kill through Caius’s eyes.

“You want to hear about… target elimination?” she spoke lowly, an edge to her voice that made his stomach clench. It reminded him that his mate was not some weak, simple human. There was a darkness in her that appealed to him, made him want to slide into her mind and devour all the tiny details that he would find in there.

“I want to hear everything. Your life, your work. Please share them with me.”

She smiled at him again, a satisfied, challenging expression on her face, and licked her lips before she spoke.

“I grew up in an orphanage. Not a nice one either. Learned how to take care of myself, how to read people, how to get what I wanted. I was sixteen when I ran away and a friend let me stay with her. Then one day, her neighbor asked if I wanted to earn some cash. He was a contract killer—didn’t know it at the time—and needed me to play the bait. I didn’t see him kill the man, but it wasn’t hard to figure out what happened. He gave me a decent cut. Every once in a while, he’d call me, I’d help him out, then get paid.

He taught me too. How to handle a weapon, let me help him plan some of the hits. Set me up with a few of his contacts, and when I turned eighteen, I joined the network. Got to bid on my own jobs, built up a reputation. That was eight years ago,” Ava finished, her eyes unfocused as she reminisced. Aro was overjoyed with all of the information she’d shared with him one long explanation, and he simply couldn’t wait to tell his brothers.

Their little mate was twenty-six years old. _So very, very young._ No family, no ties. That would make things much easier when she was turned. Things could get messy when family was left behind, and Aro was selfishly pleased that they had her all to themselves.

A whisper at the door drew his attention, and he gave Ava an apologetic smile before flashing across the room to open it. Jane bowed her head and spoke to low to be heard by his mate.

“Carlisle has arrived.”

“Very good, my dear. We will meet him in the room I set aside for his work,” Aro told her, and Jane nodded her head and disappeared. He moved quickly back to Ava, clapping his hands together and giving her a bright smile.

“I have summoned a doctor to check over your… injury,” Aro said, his smile fading once again at the reminder of his foolishness. She appeared surprised for a moment before her expression cleared, and Ava gave a light hum and stood from the sofa. “My dear… I…”

“You’ve already apologized. Better my wrist than my neck,” she said, far too casually for his liking. The though that he could have done just that was abhorrent to him. His brothers had been far too gracious towards him despite his harming of their mate, and a wretched part of him wished that they had unleashed their fury. He would have deserved it.

“Come,” Aro said simply, pushing his self-deprecating thoughts from his mind as he escorted her out of her room and towards the make-shift hospital. The guard knew to make themselves scarce around Ava unless they were specifically assigned to protect her, so they passed through the castle unhindered. Aro could hear Carlisle in the room they approached, and he was incredibly curious about how the doctor would interact with his mate.

Aro opened the door for her when they’d reached the chamber, allowing her to step inside ahead of him. Carlisle stood before a row of high-tech medical equipment, and Aro was glad that they’d not resorted to having to fight against each other over the hybrid child almost three years ago. He truly did consider the male a friend.

His yellow eyes were vivid and bright, indicating that he had likely hunted immediately before departing from the States. Although Aro did not doubt his control, he approved of the precaution.

“Ah, my dear, may I introduce Doctor Carlisle Cullen, a very old friend of mine. Carlisle, this is Ava McCrea,” Aro introduced, pride filling him at the way his mate fearlessly extended her hand towards the doctor.

“A pleasure,” Carlisle said amiably, giving Ava a small, but genuine, smile. “If you’d like to take a seat, I can get a look at your arm.” Ava quickly acquiesced, and Aro stood at the door, his hands clasped in front of him as he watched them interact.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Carlisle asked, causing a shiver of unease to grow in Aro’s chest.

“I was disarmed,” Ava replied, purposefully vague, and Carlisle gave her a raised brow. She remained quiet as he unwrapped her wrist, and Aro had to suppress a growl when she winced fractionally when he began to probe at the joint.

“Hmm… I believe there are two fractures here, but I’ll need an x-ray to be sure. If you please,” Carlisle instructed, guiding her over to one of the machines. Aro watched, fascinated, as an image of the internal structures of her hand and wrist appeared on the screen.

“You’ve broken your wrist before. More than once,” Carlisle noted, his eyes narrowing on Aro’s mate. He listened intently, staring at the screen and searching for whatever it was that Carlisle had noticed.

“Good eye, doc,” Ava drawled, a smirk on her face. “Once when I was nine, and again when I was seventeen.”

“Sounds like you’ve lived an interesting life,” Carlisle said, motioning for her to return to her seat.

“I’ve seen some things. I’ll bet you have too,” Ava prodded, and the doctor huffed and nodded without answering. “Would it be impolite to ask about your eyes? I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with vampire social norms,” she asked, and Carlisle’s gaze flashed to Aro, a question there. The king nodded, anticipating where this line of thought would go.

“My eyes appear different because I don’t drink human blood. My family and I survive by feeding on animals,” Carlisle explained, and Aro watched as Ava’s brow rose and she stared at the doctor with more interest than before. She glanced at Aro, looking into his eyes, and then looked back the Carlisle.

“You feed from animals… is it… because of compassion or dietary preference?”

“I’ve always known I wanted to help people. It’s why I became a doctor. I can’t stand the thought of taking a human life,” Carlisle answered, and Ava slowly turned her head to look at Aro, her brow rising in a manner that let him known exactly what she was thinking without having to use his gift. He grinned at her, showing sharp teeth and not hiding the amusement in his eyes.

_A vampire that didn’t kill humans?_

“And yet, you’re friends with Aro,” Ava said, a questioning tone to her voice. Carlisle offered Aro a small smile, which he returned, knowing that while he didn’t approve of the Volturi’s lifestyle, he wouldn’t verbally condemn it. In truth, Aro was more interested in Ava’s opinion on the matter. He was not fond of the idea of his mate having any interest in the Cullen’s aberrant eating habits.

“My choice is my own. I would never seek to force my lifestyle on another. You don’t need a cast, but let me splint this for you,” Carlisle replied before he quickly searched through one of the cases near the equipment, pulling out the supplies that he needed.

“How long will it take for her to recover?” Aro asked.

“She should wear the splint for about six weeks. I can return to examine it again at that time, if you wish,” Carlisle offered, and Aro inclined his head gratefully, though he was not unaware of the doctor’s true intention behind his words. He wasn’t entirely sure that his mate would still be human for that long, and Carlisle was curious about a date.

Ava must have been thinking along the same lines, because she sent him a questioning glance. He smiled slowly, not hiding the darkening in his eyes at the thought of biting her, _turning her_ , and she pursed her lip to hide a smile and averted her eyes. No fear in his little mate at the thought of ending her human life… Aro adored her.

“So, Miss McCrea, your accent is American. How did you find yourself in Italy?” Carlisle asked as he began packing up his bag.

“I had a job here,” she replied, and Aro delighted in the way she that she kept her expression completely neutral. She would make an _excellent_ queen at court.

“What kind of work do you do?” the doctor inquired, and Aro nearly vibrated in anticipation.

“Surveillance, infiltration, blackmail, wetwork. I’m a bit of a jack of all trades,” Ava answered lightly, and her human eyes would not have caught it, but Aro noticed Carlisle freeze for a fraction of a second. _Delightful._

“You’re a mercenary?” he asked lightly, no trace of judgement in his voice.

Smart move.

“Sometimes. I specialize in target elimination,” Ava continued, and the doctor seemed to be at a loss. Aro couldn’t wait to read him.

“I suppose that explains the scars. Knife wounds and bullets leave distinctive evidence,” Carlisle commented, and Aro’s eyes traced her exposed arms, glad to have a vague idea of what had marred her skin in so many places.

“Lessons learned. Take this scar, for instance,” Ava said, holding out her left arm. Carlisle looked at her for a long moment before she rotated her forearm, exposing the silvery bite mark on its underside. The doctor inhaled sharply, his eyes snapping towards Aro.

“You’re still human…”

“Sucked out the venom. Didn’t know what he was at the time. Your kind are _very_ hard to kill. Broke my hand on his face trying to get him off me, and then tall, dark and handsome here crushed my wrist before I could shoot him in the face,” Ava said, looking at Aro with an entertained grin. Several things were going through his mind all at once.

He was amused that she had intended to fire upon him next when they had been in the throne room. The fact that she was _joking_ about it today when yesterday she had been reluctant to even speak to him and his brothers was also an unforeseen, welcome shift in their dynamic. And then there was… _“tall, dark and handsome.”_

Knowing that there was even some small part of her that held an attraction towards him was exhilarating. Aro was interested in much more than the physical with his little mate, but he would absolutely use the knowledge that she was drawn to him to his advantage.

Carlisle had finished splinting Ava’s wrist as he considered her words in silence, glancing between her and Aro almost cautiously.

“I don’t blame him. I had just shot two of his guards before I turned my gun on him,” Ava said, anticipating some kind of argument from Carlisle about Aro’s treatment of her. The doctor was well aware that mates were to be cherished and protected, and that harming a piece of their soul was nearly impossible for their kind.

“Bullets aren’t particularly effective against vampires,” Carlisle said, now looking at Ava with a different kind of awareness. She grinned, more a baring of her teeth than a smile, her dark eyes locked onto his.

“Mine are.”

She held his gaze for a long moment before shifting her arm to examine the dark splint around her wrist. Aro could practically taste the tension in the room, and little of it was coming from her. Ava had taken Carlisle off guard, much as she had done to him and his brothers, and the king eagerly stepped forward, slipping his glove off with vampiric speed and reaching for Carlisle.

“Thank you, my friend, for your aid. We are in your debt,” Aro told him, and Carlisle only paused for a brief moment before slipping his hand into the king’s.

Thoughts and memories flooded into his mind, but Aro was only interested in the most recent ones. He focused, picking up anything that related to his mate. He discovered… that the Cullen family pitied his mate, believing her to be a maiden trapped amongst monsters. Well… that theory would be laid to rest when the good doctor returned.

Carlisle had tracked many of her scars, recognizing the causes of most, and had initially believed her to be in law enforcement. And then she had revealed her occupation, and the doctor’s opinion had morphed into a wary sort of acceptance. It made sense to Carlisle that the mate of the Volturi kings would someone just as formidable and unshackled by morals as they were.

A good match.

Pleased by what he had found in his friend’s thoughts, Aro gave Carlisle a genuine smile and bowed over their joined hands.

“It is no trouble, Aro. I’m happy to help. And Miss McCrea, I trust you remember the restrictions of your injury?” Carlisle asked when Aro finally released his hand.

“Of course.”

“I can prescribe you painkillers, if you need them,” he offered, reminding Aro once again that he’d neglected to care for his mate. He hadn’t considered that her pain could be assuaged, and he felt more than a little disconcerted.

“I’d rather not,” she responded, her expression hardening.

“My dear, we’ve no desire for you to be in pain,” Aro insisted, frowning.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle. And I’d like my mind clear in a castle full of vampires,” Ava replied. He felt a stab of guilt at the knowledge that she still didn’t believe that she was safe there with them. She was no simple-minded woman, his little mate, and though she had seemed to warm to him slightly, she didn’t seem like the kind of person to let their guard down so easily.

“Understandable,” Carlisle said, pulling him from his thoughts. “If that is all?” Aro nodded.

“Thank you, doctor,” Ava said, and Carlisle gave her a small smile as the door opened to admit Jane.

“I shall see you out,” Aro told him, inclining his head to Ava as he left her with Jane. Carlisle waited until they were at the opposite end of the hall to speak.

“She is…”

“Extraordinary,” Aro finished breathily.

“I’m happy for you,” Carlisle told him.

“I was surprised by the speed at which you answered my request for assistance,” the king said carefully.

“A misunderstanding between our families is not enough to erase centuries of friendship,” Carlisle replied, and Aro was thankful for the doctor’s forgiving nature. The Cullen coven was not one he wanted to be at odds with.

Especially now that he had so much more to lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This won't be the last time that Carlisle makes an appearance!  
> Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marcus enjoys a moment with Ava.

Their mate had been with them for almost five days before Marcus was able to spend time with her alone. He had never regretted forgoing companionship over the centuries, but now he wished that he had some knowledge on how to interact with a woman he wished to court. Both Aro and Caius had told him every detail of their individual experiences with her, and was eager to learn even more of their fascinating little mate.

Ava had been adjusting admirably to her current situation, not displaying any signs of defiance or rebellion that they had expected. She seemed to accept the reality of the fact that she would soon be one of them, and was doing what she could to learn about their world.

Marcus could see that their bonds were also strengthening. They were no where near as powerful as full bonds, but it made him infinitely happy to see the pale gold threads tying them together glow just a little brighter with each interaction.

They were currently in the castle garden, and Marcus was allowing his mate to stare in astonishment at the effects the sun had on his skin. They were sitting side-by-side on a stone bench, enjoying the warm summer weather, and Ava couldn’t look away from him. Her hand moved towards his, but she paused, indecision written on her face.

He made the move for her, extending his hand palm down. She hesitantly ran her fingertips along the glimmering skin of the back of his hand, a small smile growing on her face. Marcus made no move to display how it filled him with pleasure to have his mate touch him so willingly.

The low hum of the city outside the castle walls was easily ignored in favor of listening to the way her heart beat slow and steady, and then he caught the almost silent footfalls of Felix as he changed shifts with Alec in the corridor beyond the garden perimeter. It had not escaped his notice that Jane—and Alec but proxy—had begun to develop tiny, fragile little bonds of respect and curiosity towards Ava as well.

“Not the most subtle effect…” Ava murmured, and he felt a pang of loss when her hand slipped away from his.

“Indeed.”

“Will I… will the sun have this effect on me too?” she asked him, and Marcus smiled softly at her.

“It will. I look forward to seeing your beauty enhanced by the sun’s gift,” he told her, the words coming without thought. Ava’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him, and he cursed himself, feeling a frustrating wave of self-consciousness that he had never experienced before.

“Apologies. It was not my intention to cause you discomfort,” Marcus said solemnly, bowing his head to her.

“It’s fine… I just… wasn’t expecting… that,” she replied haltingly, and he didn’t fail to notice the way that her cheeks flushed as she averted her eyes. She hadn’t rejected his imprecise advance though, and it gave Marcus a shred of hope.

“Are such statements of admiration something you are opposed to?” he asked her. Ava looked back to him, her dark eyes scanning his face as the blush returned.

“Not entirely. Are… is something like that possible? Between a human and a vampire? Or would that have to wait until… I’m like you?” Ava inquired, shifting so that she was facing him. Marcus was well aware that she wasn’t as emotionally invested as he and his brothers were. The bond was there, but it didn’t influence her instincts in the same manner as a full vampiric bond.

No, based on the shifting of her scent, her interest was entirely physical.

He didn’t mind.

It would not remain that way forever, especially after she was turned. But to have the chance to grow closer to her physically _now…_ well, that was something he would enjoy exploring.

“There have been vampire-human pairings. The majority of the time, the human is turned quickly,” Marcus explained.

“And the rest of the time?”

“It does not end well for the human. We are very strong. Any slip in control could mean death,” he said. Ava grimaced and looked away, staring out at the rows of roses and vines.

“Sounds messy.”

Marcus felt a laugh escape him at her words, the sensation so odd from disuse that it surprised him. Ava smirked at his reaction, still looking out at the garden as he regained control.

“Indeed.”

But she had expressed a curiosity, and he wouldn’t allow that door to close.

“Those of my kind who are older have unparalleled control, however. My brothers and I, for instance, would pose no risk to you while you are human,” Marcus said, letting his voice drop low and seductive. The effect was instantaneous: her scent deepened, grew richer with arousal as her pupils expanded and that intoxicating flush travelled lower…

“Are you hypnotizing me?” she breathed, a hint of frustration to her tone.

“Everything you feel is real. Vampires are made to attract their prey. But there is no magic. No manipulation,” he assured her. Ava licked her lips, taking deep, steadying breaths as she fought to control her reaction to him. He wished she wouldn’t. Marcus had not been celibate in the hundred or so years of his immortal life before he had witnessed his first mating bond. He knew exactly what kind of pleasures he could give her if she allowed him.

“Still not a good idea to get involved with the men who hold my life in their hands,” she mused, a frustrating neutrality to her voice that made it difficult for Marcus to read her. He felt the opportunity slipping away from him.

“It will not always be so,” he said softly.

“I try not to make plans that far ahead,” Ava murmured, and it stabbed at him to that perhaps there would be no advancement in their connection to her until after the change. He did not wish to push her, to create a situation that would build any kind of resentment on her end, but Marcus was desperate to strengthen their fledgling bond.

“Your transition from a newborn to a vampire able to function in society will take at least one year. During which time, you will be trained and taught. We will be responsible for you, my brothers and I,” he assured her, hoping that his words would impart a sense of stability for her.

“Because of this… connection?” she asked him, and Marcus nodded once. “I don’t suppose you’d explain it to me?”

“It is difficult to explain. Not because I believe you to be incapable of understanding,” he added, seeing her eyes flash, “but because you are human. Vampires feel things differently than your kind. All of our senses are heightened, and our instincts detect things that you would be unable to in your current form.”

She sighed, a frown pulling at her lovely features as she toyed with the edge of her splint.

“And this connection… I’ll understand it when I’m turned then?” she asked.

“We will be there to explain everything to you,” he vowed.

“What happens when I’ve completed my year of vampire school? Will I be free?” Her question caused a bolt of dread to rise in up in him, a fear that even after she was turned their bond would not be enough to keep her with them. They would never allow it, of course. When the other covens learned of her existence—the mate to the kings—she would undoubtably become a target.

They could make allowances, he was sure, if she wished to continue her occupation or travel across the world. As queen, she would also be expected to aid in political delegations with their ally covens. She would not be a treasure to be placed atop of pedestal and left to collect dust. Marcus and his brothers had known from the start that they intended for their mate to have an active role in the ruling of their species.

He knew that his mate was refreshingly practical, but she also recognized that she had little choice in her current situation. Turn or die. When she became a vampire, it was highly likely that she would be more than capable of slipping away from them. Demetri would find her, of course, but it would cause irreparable damage to be forced to drag her back when she had no wish to be there.

Marcus and his brothers would need to give her a powerful reason to stay.

“You will not be a prisoner. You will be our equal. But there will be compelling reasons for you to remain in Volterra, should you wish it,” he told her. Ava held his gaze, something oddly probing about the way her eyes focused on him. He wondered, for the first time, if she would be gifted as a vampire, because there was definitely an aura about her at the moment that made the edges of his vision blur with a myriad of subtle colors.

It was almost as if his gift was active… without him calling upon it.

And then she blinked and the effect vanished, leaving Marcus feeling both confused and tingling with curiosity.

“Alright… I suppose we’ll see. As for any… admirations between us,” she said with a sly smile that woke his millennia-dormant hunger, “Well… we’ll see.”

It was more than he could have asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just setting up some groundwork for future chapters. There will be more Volturi interactions coming up!  
> Thank you for reading. Comments and critique are always welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava gets to know Demetri and Jane a little better.

It was almost easy to forget that she was essentially a prisoner here in Castle Volterra. Between the massive library, countless historical paintings scattered throughout the hallways, and the three king’s company, Ava was seldom bored. She had even found an empty chamber that she used to keep up on her conditioning, though she had to get creative with her training to work around her splint.

She’d met more of the guard as well, including Felix, who had to be the most massive person that she had ever encountered, and Alec, Jane’s twin brother. He was only slightly more talkative than his sister, who still primarily replied to Ava in monosyllables when she deigned to answer at all. And then there was Demetri. The one who had spotted her scar and forced this fate upon her.

Today was the first day that she had seen him in the three weeks since she’d been here, and Ava could tell that he was enjoying himself. The vampire had given her a sly smirk when she had opened the door to her room that morning to head to the kitchen, and the expression had made her wish that he was not made of stone so that she could knock out his handsome teeth with her fist.

She had settled for leaning against the wall across from him, drawing her gun from the holster on her belt. The smirk had vanished with dizzying speed, his crimson eyes wary as they locked onto her weapon. Ava had tilted her head to the side and proceeded to check her weapon over; the clip, the sight, and then blowing air down the barrel in dramatic fashion.

When she had finished her little display, she holstered her weapon with deliberate slowness, watching the vampire’s expression shift into something resembling amusement.

“I would call you gutsy for a human, if I did not know you to be capable of following through on that little unspoken threat,” Demetri had said dryly, and Ava had grinned.

“Don’t worry. You keep your teeth to yourself and I won’t mess up your pretty face again,” she’d replied, and Demetri had laughed, the sound too perfect to be human. They’d spent the rest of the morning talking about combat.

He’s shared some of the more interesting ways that he had killed his own kind, teaching Ava about their venom and its uses and effects, and she had told him about how she always carried armor piercing rounds after her initial encounter of the vampire that had bitten her arm.

Now the pair was sitting comfortably in the upper courtyard of one of the towers, discussing their most memorable kills. Ava was reclining against the stone wall as she sat upon a ledge, her leg swinging absently as she spoke.

“But I couldn’t get a clear shot. He had six men in the room with him, and they stood in right front of the fucking windows,” she said, and Demetri leaned forward, bright red eyes sparkling with interest.

“Did you fail your mission?” he asked, and Ava scoffed.

“Of course not. I waited until he moved into the perfect position, and then I shot through the throat of a man and took him right behind the ear,” she bragged, her smile unrestrained as she recalled one of her proudest moments on the job.

“Well done! I would have enjoyed seeing that,” Demetri said, and she gave him a considering glance.

“Aro told me about your tracking ability. It would be useful in my line of work. Maybe after I’ve finished my time as a newborn we could partner on a job or two. We could make a game of it… who’s the better killer?” Ava proposed, and Demetri chortled amiably.

“I have many, many centuries of experiences. It would be no great challenge to win this little game of yours,” he ribbed, and she chuckled before snagging a knife from her boot and whipping her hand out. In a motion too fast for her to see, his hand snapped out and caught the knife in midair, inches away from his right shoulder.

Not a bad shot, for using her non-dominate arm.

She clicked her tongue, grinning until he flexed his fingers and the metal warped within his grip like a wet paper towel, grinding and tinkling before he dropped it onto the ground in a misshapen wreck than no longer even resembled a blade. Dammit, that had been one of her favorites.

“You fucker.”

“Little girls should not play with knives.”

“I could play with my gun instead?”

Demetri turned his head away from, looking out at the city with a massive smile on his face as a result of their little word-fight. Ava matched it, knowing that playing with a dangerous vampire like this was probably not the smartest choice that she had ever made, but damn if she wasn’t having a little bit of fun.

*

*

*

She didn’t even try to be subtle with her staring anymore.

Jane had never held humans in any sort of high regard—even during those few years that she was one—but there was something about the mate of her kings that was… different. From their first encounter in the throne room, where she had been so blatantly disrespectful towards her betters, and then had the audacity to not even _scream_ while Jane had used her gift, Ava had been a confusing new experience for them all.

When she had realized what the woman was, what she _meant_ to the kings, she had been filled with fear that her existence would be ended. She had hurt—tortured—the future queen. That it had been under her master’s order was of no consequence. It had taken every ounce of willpower not to tremble when Aro had reached for her hand in the hours afterwards, while Caius had taken the woman out of the castle with Felix trailing them.

But Aro had smiled at her, apparently pleased with what he had read from her mind, and told her that there would be no punishment. That their future queen was to be protected from all harm from this moment forward. It had still felt like a threat, but fortunately, Jane would continue existing for the time being.

Her interactions with Ava since then had been both confusing and refreshing. Jane had feared that guarding the human would be tedious and irritating, with how simple-minded the creatures tended to be. All fear and trembling and whining. Pathetic.

But Ava had turned out to be none of those things.

She didn’t ask foolish questions, or, unlike the few humans the Volturi had in their employ, wax poetic about what her life would be like when she was finally one of them. Jane actually… liked her. Well, maybe not _liked._ She only really liked her twin. But while she had fantasized about torturing the human more than once, she discovered that she didn’t actually want to see her dead.

Odd.

The masters were currently hosting a delegation from the Japanese coven, discussing their supposed connections to the rogue Romanians. Their enemies had reportedly been amassing allies, all in secret, and there had been enough rumors for the Volturi to be concerned. They did not tolerate threats to their status as leaders of their species.

Jane watched as Ava moved through her training exercises, showing no signs of discomfort as she flexed and moved her splinted arm. The frustrations she had felt at the woman’s resistance to her gift had shifted into a tentative respect, especially when she remembered how painful it had been when she’d been shot in retaliation.

Alec had helped her to seal her wound, using her own venom to do so, all while trying to reassure his twin that she was too valuable to the Volturi for her to be destroyed after what she had done. It was unfathomable that a human weapon could have done so much damage, but Jane felt marginally better about it when she recalled the way that Ava had also shot Demetri.

In the face.

The rest of the guard had not hesitated to remind him of it every chance they got.

Ava relaxed from her motions, stretching both arms overhead and letting out a long, deep exhale. There was a fine sheen of sweat glistening on her skin as she walked over to the side of the room and grabbed a bottle of water. Jane’s throat itched at the way her scent grew stronger at their proximity, at the movements her neck made when she drank deeply. She was old, and her control ironclad, but the temptation was still there.

She hoped it would not be too much longer until she was made on of them.

“Where would you like to go today, Jane?” Ava asked, wiping at her skin with a light towel before approaching. Jane arced her brow, sniffing derisively at the sweat-dampened hair around the human’s face. Mortals were so… leaky.

“Why are you asking me?”

“Honestly, I’m curious about you. What would you be doing right now if you weren’t assigned to watch me?” she asked, and Jane felt an irritating amount of confusing emotions bubbling up in her at the human’s question.

“Why do you care?” she snapped, her irritation spiking at the way the woman just smiled at her.

“I don’t. Like I said, curiosity. What do you like to do when you’re not torturing people or tearing their throats out?” There was something about the nonchalant way she talked about hurting others that made Jane’s eyes narrow. Perhaps it had to do with the utter lack of judgement in her voice, or the fact that this human was as comfortable with killing as any vampire was.

She considered just ignoring the human, but it was always in the forefront of her mind that Ava would someday be her queen. It would be prudent to remain in her good graces now, especially if she retained most of her human memories when she turned.

And… she wasn’t _that_ annoying.

“I like the gardens.”

That seemed to be all she needed, because Ava nodded her head and swept past her, obviously knowing the way there. Jane followed, doing her best to repress the ire rising in her. Spending her shift guarding the human in the gardens sounded much more tolerable that exploring the castle again.

When they reached the gardens, Jane took a moment to reach out with her senses, searching for any potential threat to her charge. It was overcast this afternoon, and though Jane would _never_ admit it, she very much enjoyed the sun’s effect on her skin. She knew that Ava did as well, and the vampire lamented the opportunity to express another aspect of her species that was far superior to that of the mortal.

“If I asked you to use your power on me, would you?” Ava asked suddenly, causing Jane’s head to snap to the side to regard the human in shocked surprise.

“No.”

“Because you don’t want to, or because you’ve been ordered not to?” she asked, catching Jane’s gaze. Jane glared at her, but the human just grinned.

“Ordered then.”

She wished she could let loose her power so badly. To see how much it would take to make the human scream.

“I wonder if the pain is the same for humans as it is for vampires. Maybe I can find out whenever they turn me,” Ava mused, turning away from Jane and pacing around the garden.

“Why would you wish to?” she asked the human.

“I don’t know… I’m curious, I suppose. All of the gifts your kind have are fascinating,” Ava said, propping a leg up onto one of the benches and dropping into a stretch. Jane wondered if the kings would ever allow it, if they’d make an exception if it was their mate that made the request… Sometimes there was nothing she wanted more than to torture the human. And other times the thought of doing so made her feel a strange, uncomfortable twisting sensation in her chest that almost felt like sympathy.

Disgusting sentiment.

“If you want pain, just wait until you’re turned,” Jane stated flatly. Ava scoffed and held out her forearm, looking down at the scar that shone silver against her skin.

“Yeah… three days of that fire. Sounds like a good time,” she muttered dryly, and Jane smiled cruelly.

“Maybe you’ll scream then.”

“Are we talking like full out screaming, or making pained noises?” Ava asked, a playful gleam in her eyes.

“You’ll scream. Everyone does,” Jane told her derisively. She would never forget that pain. Three days of searing agony, worse than the fires that the villagers had forced upon her and Alec.

“I’ll take that bet. What kinds of things do vampires bet with?” Ava questioned. Jane sneered at her, hoping that she could be assigned to the guard that would be at the villa for the human’s turning in order to hear her suffering. “How about… if you win, you can use your gift on me for an hour. And if I win, I get to empty a clip into you?”

Jane stared at her, disbelief coloring her features for a moment before she schooled her expression. Her first instinct was to tell the human exactly what she thought of her bet. And then she considered, if the masters allowed it, how enjoyable it would be to see her writhing in pain.

“You wouldn’t last an hour.” Ava laughed at Jane’s statement, causing the vampire to grind her teeth together. “And the masters would never allow it to happen, turned or not.”

“If they did, are you game?” Ava challenged, her wry tone making Jane’s throat burn once more with the urge to clamp her teeth on her foolishly exposed neck. The future queen was daring, and perhaps just slightly unbalanced enough to make life much more interesting for the Volturi when she was turned.

“Fine. If the masters allow it,” Jane said snippily, and Ava beamed annoyingly. There was most definitely _not_ a smile trying to break through on Jane’s face.

Impossible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Jane and Demetri. Their relationships with Ava will be important in later parts of the story.  
> Next chapter will be more of Ava and the kings.  
> Thank you for reading! Comments and critique are always welcome.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kings provide Ava with a little gift, and Caius shows her his appreciation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some minor sexual content here.  
> Enjoy.

Life had taken a confusing turn lately, and Ava wasn’t sure what to make of it. Beyond the grudging acceptance that her existence had taken a turn she never could have anticipated, she now had to deal with these inexplicable feelings directed towards the trio of leaders of the vampire race.

The fear that seemed to be an unconscious reaction to the species had slowly drained from her when she was around them, and Ava had begun to notice them in an entirely new way. It was odd for her. While she had looked at attractive men and recognized that they were aesthetically appealing, it had never really affected her the same way that the kings had.

Sex was nothing new to her. Both for pleasure and as a seduction method during particularly important infiltration jobs. But there was something about them that made her _want._ Ava was curious if it was this unexplained connection that she seemed to have with them, because all of the vampires that she had met since staying in the castle were undeniably alluring, and yet, she had only desired Aro, Caius and Marcus.

Which was another oddity.

Ava had never been one for relationships. She didn’t stay in one place for long, couldn’t exactly share her occupation or personal information, and had absolutely zero desire to live a typical, normal life. But what she felt for them was different than lust. There was plenty of that, sure, but she was also genuinely interested in them.

It had her even more off-kilter than the fact that she was in a castle full of vampires.

“You seem distracted.”

Ava tilted her head to look back at Dr. Cullen, who had returned to Italy from the States to remove her splint and check the progress of her wrist. It was hard to believe that she had been here for two whole months…

“Yes, I suppose I am,” Ava said, watching the doctor as he gently gripped and manipulated her wrist.

“To be honest, I’m surprised you’re still human,” Dr. Cullen told her, and Ava huffed.

“To be honest, so am I. They’ve said they’re making preparations, but haven’t exactly given me a timeline yet,” she replied, and though she felt a hint of frustration, she understood that when you lived forever, the span of eight weeks was akin to little more than a sneeze in a vampire’s life. She knew that it was inevitable, but now she was beginning to grow a little impatient.

“Have you been enjoying your time in Volterra?” he asked her. Ava remained silent, unable to answer his question. She couldn’t say that she liked the idea of a fate being forced upon her, but she wasn’t entirely averse to her stay in the castle. This was one of the first places she’d found that she didn’t have to hide or pretend to be someone she wasn’t.

She was a killer, surrounded by killers. And they were far better at the art than her.

Dr. Cullen’s amber gaze caught hers, the flash of sympathy she saw in them raising her hackles. She didn’t need anyone’s pity.

“How’s it look, doc?” Ava asked in an effort to divert his attention, and after only a brief moment of hesitation, he took the bait.

“Everything seems to be healing nicely. Take it slow with your physical therapy, and let Aro know if you feel any sharp pains or numbness,” he said, giving her a tight smile as he packed up his bag. Ava slipped off the chair, flexing her wrist and fingers. She could feel the stiffness in the joint, and the weakened muscles of her forearm. But it was good to finally have the splint off.

“Thank you,” she told him as she took the therapy brace he offered, slipping it into her belt. It would come in handy during her training while she strengthened the joint again.

“Of course. Maybe no more shooting vampires?” he quipped, and she smiled slyly. So, there _was_ a personality somewhere inside the self-righteous animal-drinker.

“No promises.”

Dr. Cullen huffed a laugh, and was about to say something else when the door opened, admitting both Alec and Caius into the room. The doctor straightened, his expression shifting to one of open professionalism as he nodded to the blonde king.

“Caius. Alec. Miss McCrea is free of her splint and doing better than expected,” he reported, and Caius nodded approvingly before he moved to offer Ava his arm.

“Aro is waiting for you in the entrance hall,” he told the doctor, and Dr. Cullen grabbed his bag and sent one last farewell nod to Ava before following Alec out of the room. She had a feeling that Caius didn’t care for the doctor, but was holding back his animosity for her sake.

With an indulgent grin, she reached out to take his arm, noting that his eyes were glued to her newly bared right wrist. As if he didn’t trust that Dr. Cullen knew what he was talking about. She was tempted to show off a little—perhaps flipping a knife or something—but had a feeling that the disuse might cause her to embarrass herself if it didn’t go as planned. For some reason, she wanted him to think well of her.

“Come, darling.”

Ava bit back a comment at the pet name, not sure what she thought of being called that word by a vampire king. Her discomfort stemmed less from a dislike of the endearment than the fact that no one had ever bothered to use terms like that for her. The blonde led her out of the room and towards where she knew the throne room lay. She hadn’t been back there since her first time in Castle Volterra, and wondered what the purpose of bringing her there was. 

She had explored most of the castle by now, and anytime that one of the trio was with her, they usually stayed in the king’s section of the castle. The brothers had both shared rooms and separate wings, and Ava discovered that her rooms were directly between the three.

It lent credence to their claims of a connection, and also intimidated the hell out of her. Whatever was happening between them, it was clear that they were all effected, and all equally on board with it. Ava had never imagined that she could be involved with three men at the same time, but she would be an idiot to deny that that was where this was going.

As they came closer to the throne room, she couldn’t help the shiver of apprehension that passed through her. Ava knew that, in addition to their political dealings, they and the guard all fed there. And while the feeding itself didn’t really bother her, there was an uncomfortable uncertainty about the reason why Caius was bringing her there.

He paused for a moment outside the door, looking down at her with darkened eyes and a knowing smirk that made her breath threaten to catch. Caius let her arm slip from his as he pushed open the door, motioning for Ava to pass through first. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she did so, noticing that Aro and Marcus were both seated atop their thrones and watching her with excited eyes.

She was just about to ask them what was going on when she noticed that Demetri and Felix were also present, standing together in the center of the room, and there was a man on his knees between them.

A human man.

Ava didn’t recognize him, but could see the distress in his eyes as they flitted about the room. He was perhaps a few years older than her, with an athletic build and an assortment of tattoos on his arms. She caught his fearful gaze with her own, raising an unimpressed brow at the way he seemed to plead with her to help him.

“Ah, my dear!” Aro positively beamed as he stood from his throne, his hands clasped together as she slowly approached. “We have been greatly looking forward to this!”

“Aro. What’s this?” she asked, jerking her chin towards the other human.

“A gift, darling. He is a man who abuses children, escaped from his transport in southern Florence. Do with him what you will,” Caius said softly in her ear, his voice pitched low so that the man couldn’t hear his words. Ava stiffened in realization, her eyes snapping back the blonde in surprise. She had known that the blonde king had enjoyed watching her slit the throat of that man in the park, but she hadn’t even considered that the others would wish to experience the same thing as well.

Caius smirked ferally, his eyes tracing up and down her body suggestively as he strode to his throne and took his place with his brothers. Ava licked her lips as anticipation filled her body, her head turning slowly to look at the man once more. With deliberate movements, she slipped the brace out of her belt and wrapped it around her wrist, knowing that this probably wasn’t the best way to test out the strength of her newly-recovered joint.

But they had brought this man here for her. For her to kill.

And she’d give them a show.

“Give us some space,” Ava whispered, too quiet to be heard by anything other than supernatural ears. Demetri and Felix flashed away from the man, standing against the walls on either side of the room as the man scrambled to his feet, spluttering in shock at the too-fast movements of the vampires. Both guards wore eager expressions, and Demetri outright grinned when she caught his eyes.

“What’s your name?” Ava asked, and his gaze fell on her, pupils like pinpricks in his eyes.

“St-Stefan,” he stuttered. “What is happening? Why am I here?”

“Stefan. These are vampires. And they’re hungry. They’re only going to let one of us walk out of here,” Ava said, doing her best to hide the devious smile threatening to twist its way onto her face. She needed to be convincing.

“What?”

“If you can kill me, they’ll let you live,” Ava told him, rolling her shoulders and shifting into a ready stance. Stefan’s eyes hardened fractionally, his gaze taking her in as he straightened and clenched his fists.

Too easy.

Without another moment’s pause he lunged forward in a sloppy punch aimed for her face. Ave flowed around the strike, Stefan’s knuckles barely an inch away from her face as she tipped up her toes and snagged his ankle. He tripped hard, off balance from the unutilized momentum of his punch, and was barely able to get his hands under him as he went sprawling.

Ava let out a huff of laughter, just enough to prod Stefan’s fear into a sort of indignant anger. The man let out a curse and shoved himself to his feet, his lips curled and teeth bared as he shifted his weight and watched her.

“Gonna have to do better. If you don’t want to die,” she sneered. Stefan gave a grunt of irritation and moved forward while Ava angled her body to the side, keeping her weight on her back leg. He wisely took his time, calculating, but she could tell that he lacked any kind of formal training. Most likely, he just blitzed his victims.

Children.

Fucking coward.

He swung again, less force and more aim, but Ava had been dancing to this tune for most of her life. She evaded and dodged, knocking away his punches when she could, letting him move her about the room without landing a single blow. Stefan’s frustration was growing, his cheeks ruddy with exertion, and she finally made her move.

On a particularly wild swing, Ava ducked down and slipped a knife from her boot. Not her favorite one, _fucking thank you Demetri,_ but it was just as deadly as any other. Off-balance, he could do nothing as the blade slid across his ribs, slicing through the thin material of his shirt and cutting shallowly into the skin beneath as she twirled around him.

He cried out, likely more from shock than pain, and stumbled back with a hand pressed to his side. Blood seeped between his fingers, and a sudden low, vibrating tone echoes through the air. She knew not to look away from her target, but Ava was pretty sure that every vampire in the room was growling at the scent of the fresh crimson liquid staining Stefan’s shirt.

“You bitch! That’s-that’s cheating!” he spat, and Ava gave a nonchalant shrug.

“There’s no such thing as cheating when you’re fighting for your life. There’s only winning and dying,” she hummed, watching as a shiver passed through his body. “You want a fair fight? Here,” she said, and tossed the knife at him. Stefan stepped away, hands flailing to avoid cutting himself as the blade flew past him. He quickly dropped down to retrieve it when it clattered to the ground, and Ava took advantage of his inattention to launch her attack.

Stefan lashed out wildly with her blade the moment it was in his hand, the swing nowhere near her, and Ava gripped his wrist and redirected the attack. She yanked his arm forward while squeezing at the bend of his elbow, bringing the blade upward and into the soft skin beneath his chin. It slid into him effortlessly, like a hot knife through butter, a testament to the sharpness of her weapon.

Eyes wide in shock, Stefan let out a low gurgle and blood dribble from his lips. Ava looked into his eyes, watching the realization setting in that she had just made him stab himself with her own knife. His body twitched and shuddered, threatening to collapse, and she quickly stepped out of the way.

He fell heavily, twisting as he went so that he landed on his back with a wet grunt. The motion caused him to pull the knife from beneath his chin, sending a wash of bright blood to flow from the wound. Ava stepped backwards, turning to look over her shoulder at the kings who still watched her from their thrones.

They expressions ranged from avid interest to outright pride, and Ava wasn’t blind to the flattering amount of lust in their gazes. After all, no one could appreciate the art of the kill like a fellow predator.

“Magnificent!” Aro breathed, clapping his hands as he stood from his throne. “Felix, Demetri, you may do what you wish with that.” The black-haired king had only to wave his arm and Ava heard a whooshing sound that drew her attention back to Stefan. She turned, brows arching at the sight of each guard at a wrist of the fallen man.

The crunch of teeth through skin and bone was audible, drawing a pained scream from Stefan as the guards began to drink. It was with a sort of detached curiosity that she watched them drain the man, considering that soon enough she would be doing the same to some unfortunate victim. It wasn’t wholly unappealing to her, and Ava was sure that the draw of blood would shift her opinion of consideration into _need_ when they time came.

“Darling.”

Ava turned to see Caius directly behind her, having stood and moved from his throne silently while her attention had been diverted. The blonde was far too close, and it took her a moment to realize that he did not share her breath. There was no rise and fall to match her own, and she reached out a tentative hand to press against his chest over where his heart would be.

Nothing.

Her eyes flicked up to his, taking in the deep, dark red shade of his eyes that she knew meant he was thirsty. Caius reached up to grasp her hand in his and smoothly set it in the crook of his elbow as he led her from the throne room and into corridor. The moment the door shut behind them Caius was crowding her against the wall, his arms suddenly bracketing her smaller body as their noses nearly touched.

Arousal shot through her, her blood still hot from her dance with Stefan and washing away some of her loosely held inhibitions. Caius inhaled sharply, his eyes going black, and Ava had a brief moment to wonder if it was such a good idea to be so near him when he was so obviously hungry, when he swooped down and pressed his lips to hers. They were cold and unyielding, forceful in a way that she couldn’t help but respond to. Ava pressed up against him, knowing that the way he moved with her was because he _allowed_ it. The taste of him was like nothing she’d ever experienced when his tongue swept into her mouth, slick and cool and making her stomach clench in desire.

Her hands clawed at his shoulders, trying desperately to erase the distance between them, to assuage the burning that raged in her veins. Chemistry was nothing new to her, but _this_ was incredible. Consuming. She just couldn’t get _close enough_ to the sensual blonde as he expertly led their kiss into something decidedly suggestive.

Ava gasped into his mouth when Caius gripped her beneath her thighs and effortlessly lifted her off of her feet to pin her against the wall. Her hips rolled, searching, and he growled in response when her core brushed against the hardness beneath his far too thick robes. Caius broke their kiss and shifted her, holding her up with one arm while the other reached for her, clawed fingers shredding through the material of her pants and exposing her heated flesh to the cool air.

“Caius,” Ava gasped, though in reprimand or want, she wasn’t entirely sure, and the blonde recaptured her lips as he slipped his hand down between them, wasting no time driving a firm, cool finger deep inside her. She grunted in response, not breaking their kiss as he began a ruthless rhythm with his finger, her entire body jerking with each movement. It was rough, almost brutal, and if she hadn’t been so damn _aroused_ she knew that it would have hurt.

“More,” Ava demanded, the vampire nearly snarling in approval as he added another finger, working her expertly as his lips descended to her neck. The jolt of fear, of knowing that he could tear her throat out with miniscule effort was blinding, and she felt herself rising higher and higher. It was such an addictive contrast, the cool swipe of his tongue against her heated skin, and Ava couldn’t help but imagine what that would feel like on _other_ parts of her.

He began whispering words in a language she didn’t know against the skin at the juncture between her neck and shoulder, never relenting in his almost mechanical pace as he continued to push her towards her orgasm. Her hips rolled against his hand, chasing her end, it was the scrape of his teeth against her throat, barely there but unmistakable, that finished her off.

Ava let out a breathy cry as she came, clenching around the hard digits inside her as her back arched and pleasure soared through her. Later, she would wonder if her orgasm was so powerful because of this connection she shared with the trio, but for now all she could concentrate on was how fucking good she felt.

As she slowly came back to herself, she was aware of Caius lowering her back onto her feet, steadying her as she controlled her breathing and looked down to the mess he’d made of her pants. Ava huffed, about to tell him off for ruining one of the few pairs of pants she had when he smoothly swept the cloak from his shoulders and settled in on hers.

The fabric swept the ground, their heights too different for it lay correctly on her smaller frame, but the material was cool and smelled like him, and she breathed her thanks as he clasped the front. Caius ran a thumb across her lower lip, his eyes black and intense as he stared down at her.

“What about you?” Ava asked him, not at all unwilling to return the favor, but Caius merely smirked and shook his head as he laid a hand at her lower back and urged her to continue down the hallway.

“Vampires are… at our most instinctual when we are intimate. And I have not fed recently. I would not risk your safety for a moment of pleasure,” Caius explained. He looked down at her, smiling appreciatively. “No matter how tempting you are, darling.”

She let out an amused huff, pulling the edge of the cloak on her shoulders tighter around her. It suddenly occurred to her that they had only been a dozen feet into the hallway before Caius had pressed her against the wall. The hallway that led from a chamber with four vampires still inside. And vampires had greatly enhanced senses.

Ava’s steps faltered, only a briefly, but Caius noticed.

“Darling?”

“They just… heard everything… didn’t they?” she asked him, her eyes flicking down the hallway towards the throne room.

“Do not worry. The guard were dismissed before they could hear anything private,” Caius assured her and Ava gave him an arched brow.

“Not your brothers though,” she said, watching him closely. In every scenario she had created in her mind of getting involved with the trio, she had accounted for some sort of jealousy or possessiveness. She could make allowances for possessiveness, especially if there were emotions that extended further than attraction. But Ava had absolutely no tolerance for jealousy.

Caius paused, something in his gaze that she couldn’t quite read. He reached out and gently drew a finger down her cheek, his touch whisper-soft.

“My brothers and I all share the same connection with you. Your pleasure is our pleasure,” he said silkily, and though she still didn’t fully understand—and wasn’t _that_ starting to get frustrating—she accepted it. For the moment.

It was hard to dwell on anything for too much time with the way that her legs were still trembling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!  
> Thank you for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and critique are always welcome!


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